The present application relates to a novel and useful transmission mechanism.
Transmissions for vehicles are used to transfer energy or power from a source to wheels or other motive means. In essence, the transmission converts a single speed of rotary motion to a variety of output speeds on an output shaft linked to the wheels of a vehicle. Typically, a number of gears are also used to determine the speed of the output shaft in order to allow the vehicle to attain the various speeds necessary to successfully move along various terrain environments.
In the past, many variable speed transmission systems have been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,269,734 and 6,129,061 show gear reducing devices which incorporate a plurality of gears along an input shaft to transfer mechanical rotation to an output shaft through a planetary gear arrangement.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,133,455 and 4,063,467 show speed changers utilizing pulleys to provide variable transmission between a driving shaft and at least one output shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,010,423 describes a reversible variable speed transmission which includes a rotatable input member and a pump for pumping fluid through a conduit. A gear train is operatively coupled to the input member in the pump to move the output shaft either in a forward or reverse direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,419 describes a flat belt continuously variable transmission in which guide way disks provided with spirals support a belt to maintain an effective diameter of a pair of pulleys. A planetary gear system meshes with star gears to vary the output shaft rotation.
Patent abstracts of Japan 62209260 and 63038757 describe variable pulley drive devices for varying the output speed of a shaft utilizing a sun gear mounted on the input shaft. A ring gear is also arranged outside a sun gear in concentric fashion in order to allow axial movement of the sun gear.
A transmission mechanism utilizing a source of power which is capable of varying speed and direction of an output shaft in an efficient manner would be a notable advance in the automotive arts.